Human Rights in the News: June 2023
/Welcome to the June 2023 edition of Human Rights in the News, Woven Teaching’s monthly collection of important human rights stories from around the world.
7 of the 9 members of SCOTUS
Supreme Court guts affirmative action in college admissions
Aditi Sangal, Adrienne Vogt, Sydney Kashiwagi, Matt Meyer and Tori B. Powell | CNN | 30 June 2023
In a 6-3 ruling, the United States Supreme Court ruled that universities can no longer take race into account when granting admission. This decision overturns a long-standing precedent which had benefitted students of color.
Migrants from Eritrea, Libya, and Sudan crowded on a boat (Credit: Joan Mateu Parra/AP)
Nearly 2,000 migrants have died crossing the Mediterranean this year. Here's why
Laurel Wamsley | NPR | 28 June 2023
According to data from the UN’s International Organization for Migration, 1,999 migrants have died in the Mediterranean this year, mostly from drowning. Earlier this month, the fishing boat Adriana capsized while making the crossing from Libya to Greece, killing nearly 600 people.
Prison facility at Guantánamo (Credit: Kathleen T. Rhem/U.S. Department of Defense)
Released Guantánamo Detainees are Still Being Denied Human Rights, U.N. Report Warns
Elise Swain | The Intercept | 27 June 2023
In a recent report, the UN’s Special Rapporteur on Counterterrorism and Human Rights stated that when Guantánamo detainees cannot be repatriated and are released to “third” countries, many are prevented from living normal lives due to secondary security measures. In nearly a third of all documented cases, men released from Guantánamo have not been given proper legal status by their host countries.
Starbucks employees holding protest signs outside of a Starbucks Roastery in Seattle (Credit: Rob Weller)
Starbucks union says workers at more than 150 stores will strike over Pride decor
Kat Rogers | CNBC | 23 June 2023
Following claims that Starbucks would not allow employees to decorate stores for LGBTQIA+ Pride month, more than 3,500 Starbucks employees pledged to strike. “Workers United has alleged instances in at least 22 states when workers have not been able to decorate, pointing to social media accounts where workers have documented their claims. The union said it has filed an unfair labor practice charge against Starbucks over what it alleges is a change in policy.”
James Meredith, looking toward the camera and wearing a baseball cap (Credit: Rogelio V. Solis/AP Photo)
Civil rights notable James Meredith turns 90, urges people to press onward
Associated Press | 26 June 2023
James Meredith, the first Black student to enroll at the University of Mississippi, celebrated his 90th birthday this month. In 1966, Meredith set out to promote Black voter registration by walking across Mississippi. He was shot by a white man during his journey, but Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Stokely Carmichael, and others continued his walk. Within three weeks, Meredith rejoined the march.
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